Weed-themed game show lands in Wilmington

It's a show unlike any other in Delaware. In fact, it will be happening outside of Philadelphia for the first time ever this weekend with Wilmington as its out-of-state debut destination.

The show is called "Weeding Out the Stoned" and the concept is simple: Sixteen comedians are onstage and all but one have been smoking marijuana.

Host and fellow comedian Alex Grubard plays a police officer, grilling each of the contestants and forcing them to do sobriety test challenges, word games and more with the audience (a.k.a. Grubard's deputies) voting one participant off after each round.

If the crowd thinks the person is stoned, the audience cheers. If they think the comedian is sober, they yell, "Narc!" And if the crowd picks the straight-edge joker after eliminating the 15 stoners, they all go home with prizes.

But it's apparently a lot harder to do than one might think.

"They are so bad at it," says the Philadelphia-based Grubard, who won The Grand's annual lol@TheGrand stand-up competition in Wilmington in 2013. "We had a show Wednesday and it was the second time they got it right out of like 20 or 25 shows.

"It kind of proves the point you want to make if you're a stoner."

A bulk of the comedians for the Delaware grass game will be from right here in The First State with only a few being imported from Philadelphia.

The 8:30 p.m. "Weeding Out the Stoned" performance is one of two concept comedy shows being held at Bootless Stageworks (1301 N. Broom St., Wilmington) Friday. The other is the 10 p.m. "Eat Your Beats" game show, which features comedians competing in food-themed classic hip-hop-infused rap battles. Both cost $5. (Ticket details below.)

"These concept shows aren't just stand-up, sketch or improv -- they are really unpredictable. It creates an experience that is comedy, but not in a way that people are used to," says "Eat Your Beats" comedian/host Alejandro Morales.

And as more states legalize and decriminalize marijuana, it's become a high time for cannabis comedy.

While stoner comedies have been in movie theaters for decades, pot-laced TV shows are now popping up all over television, podcast networks and comedy clubs.

Television is about to be suddenly overflowing with pot programming. New shows like MTV’s "Mary + Jane" and web series-turned-HBO show "High Maintenance," along with Viceland's "Weediquette" and "Bong Appétit," will soon be joined by "Super High Me" comedian Doug Benson's "The High Court" on Comedy Central. Also coughing, er, coming soon: Netflix’s "Disjointed" and Amazon's "Budding Prospects."

And then there are podcasts like Benson's "Getting Dough With High." It features comedians, actors, musicians and other luminaries smoking marijuana while in a talk show setting. (Actress and Wilmington native Aubrey Plaza was one of the first guests three years ago and her visit remains one of the most-viewed episodes.)

"There are going to be 100 weed shows in 10 years," Grubard predicts.

Cynthia Ferguson, executive director of Delaware NORML, says she has seen an upswing in interest in her group's parties and fundraising concerts, which have featured performances by comedians, magicians and Wilmington music acts such as jam rockers Xtra Alltra and reggae band Kooligans.

Ever since Delaware's own decriminalization was signed into law by former Gov. Jack Markell during Firefly Music Festival weekend in 2015, more pot smokers and cannabis rights supporters have been willing to come out from the shadows -- or perhaps smoke-filled rooms. (Grubard says he has noticed people are less weary about attending or participating in his Philadelphia shows since decriminalization.)

Delaware NORML's December 2015 decriminalization party in Arden drew their biggest crowd ever -- more than 170 people.

"We are definitely seeing more and more interest and we've made it a mission this year to provide more entertainment," says Ferguson, of Delaware NORML, the state chapter of the national cannabis reform group, which was incorporated in 2013.

Their next event is part of the "Get Stoned Tap Takeover" event March 2 at Tonic Bar & Grille in Wilmington with the California-based Stone Brewing Co. With four of their beers being featured, Delaware NORML was invited to sell their merchandise and pass out information as a tie-in.

Grubard and Morales both have performed stand-up at various venues across Delaware before. But it was in November when they both were booked for a comedy show being held at Bootless Stageworks that they, along with New Castle-based comedian and show booker Brandon Jackson, realized the space was big enough for their concept shows.

A plan was hatched and both shows will be crossing the state line into Delaware for the first time. Neither have been performed outside of Philadelphia before.

"I really wanted to bring them down here, but we didn't have a venue that would work for shows like this. [Wilmington's] Spaceboy Clothing is too small and [Wilmington bar] 1984 is too noisy," says Jackson, who will take part in "Eat Your Beats," but not "Weeding Out the Stoned." "I don't use marijuana. If I was on the show, everyone would know I'm the sober one. And if I was high, they would definitely know it then, too."

Less than a year after Philadelphia decriminalized marijuana, "Weeding Out the Stoned" got its start and it now regularly sells out its twice-a-month shows at the Good Good Comedy Theatre in Philly's Chinatown.

"We want to start testing the waters and do it outside of Philadelphia," says Grubard, who adds that the contestants smoke before the show at an undisclosed location. "Since I've been in Delaware before and have good comedy connections here, we decided to do it in Delaware first."

He says it's not as easy as one might think to get 15 comedians to smoke pot for work. And it can be a tricky subject to broach sometimes.

"Some people are very secretive about it. And a couple of times when I've asked people, they have told me, 'I've been in Alcoholics Anonymous for 10 years,'" Grubard says. "I'm like, 'I'm so sorry. I have a whole show about abusing marijuana.'"

Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).

IF YOU GO

What: "Weeding Out the Stoned" and "Eat Your Beats"

When: Friday at 8:30 p.m. ("Weeding Out the Stoned") and 10 p.m. "Eat Your Beats"

Where: Bootless Stageworks, 1301 N. Broom St., Wilmington

Cost: $5 each 

Tickets and information: goodgoodcomedy.com/weedingwilmington or goodgoodcomedy.com/eybwilmington